The Breakout!

(Chapter 15)

Harry and Ron returned to the common room at about nine o'clock. Being a school night there were very few students left awake. One student, who was still awake, sitting with her legs curled up in a big comfy chair by the fire, reading a book, was Hermione.

Harry and Ron caught sight of her and stopped in their tracks. Harry looked to Ron silently, he saw how tormented his best friend looked and faintly smiled, nodding his head in Hermione's direction, who hadn't yet noticed their presence.

Ron sighed and shook his head. "I can't mate."

"Just talk to her, say anything," Harry pleaded, whispering.

Ron didn't respond and Harry took this as Ron giving in to his pleads. Harry gave his friend a good pat on the back and walked straight up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.

Ron watched him go and then finally turned in Hermione's direction, already blushing furiously, and frantically thinking of something to say to her.

Before he knew it, he was standing right beside her chair. Hermione looked up at him and smiled shyly.

Neither spoke at first. "Hi," Ron said finally.

"Hi," Hermione responded. "Did you want something?"

Ron licked his lips nervously and sat down in the chair across from her.

"I err, I…" He started and Hermione looked at him anxiously. She kept a cool demeanor all the while underneath her mind was screaming. She was usually great at predicting what Ron would do or say, but lately, and especially now, she had no idea about what was going to happen.

"When we were in the library…did you..er..hear anything that Harry and I said?" Ron asked, holding his breath waiting for the answer.

Hermione looked at him so innocently, her eyes glittering in the fire light. Ron was so taken by her natural beauty that he almost missed her answer.

"No, I don't know what you are talking about," She said quietly.

Ron jumped slightly and focused once again. "Oh! Well, ok, never mind then," He blushed. Embarrassed at the fact that he brought up a subject she knew nothing about as well as being greatly relieved that she hadn't heard.

"Why? What did you say?" Ron heard Hermione ask quietly. She asked almost sadly, and she stared at him, challenging him to answer. Ron's heart skipped and for a moment he thought maybe Hermione did hear him and was trying to make him to say it to her face.

Ron searched for words. "We, err, we were just talking about how you wouldn't let us listen in on Jones and McGonagall," Ron answered quickly.

Hermione swallowed and looked down. "Oh, well….I should probably be going to bed now, goodnight," She told him softly and made her way up to the girls dormitory leaving Ron once again alone in the common room feeling depressed and frustrated.

Hermione tried desperately to keep herself composed. As silently as she could, she closed the door to the dormitory and begun to change into her night gown.

Everything was growing so complicated. Her feelings for Ron were beginning to far outweigh her thoughts of the Second Wizard War, and Hermione was finding it hard to determine which one she found more frightening. The smart, rational, logical thinking Hermione like thing to do would be to forget about it and move on with her schoolwork and friendship, but her heart wanted Ron.

Hermione crawled through the curtains around her four poster bed and drew the warm covers over her body.

Just as she rested her head on the pillow someone opened the curtains on the other side and crawled into bed next to her. Hermione turned to the person in surprise.

"Ginny! What are you doing?"

Ginny smiled at her. "What's wrong?"

Hermione frowned. "Nothing," She said snappily.

"You're a terrible liar Hermione, and I'm very intuitive."

"Oh are you? How are you at divination? Am I going to go crazy soon?"

"Too late for that prediction…already happened," Ginny joked smiling and Hermione even managed a smile back.

Ginny then let her expression grow serious as she pressed her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. In a very Trelawney type voice she said, "I see you in a near future, sitting happily in the lap of a certain handsome, red-headed, quidditch player."

Hermione laughed and gently punched Ginny on the arm. "That's not funny!"

Ginny turned serious this time for real. "Look Hermione, I know my brother can be a prat sometimes, but he cares about you…better yet, he likes you. If you just tell him-"

"No Ginny," Hermione interrupted. "I can't tell him."

"But why?" Ginny asked desperately.

"You wouldn't understand," Hermione said sadly.

"Try me," Ginny said growing frustrated.

Hermione sighed, was silent and than finally started to explain.

"There are far bigger things going on in my life and everyone else's lives right now. Things much bigger than Ron and me. I have to keep my priorities straight…As much as I may want to be with Ron, it's not safe now. I have to be there for Harry and everyone else now," Hermione said sadly.

Ginny looked at Hermione with watery eyes. She admired Hermione so much. Aside from her mother, Hermione had been the only female role model and real friend in her life.

Ginny finally smiled at Hermione and gave her a huge tight hug. "I don't know how you do it all. Just…well, do whatever you want. Goodnight," Ginny said and crawled out of Hermione's bed and into her own.

Hermione was left alone with her rapid thoughts. She was sure that she was making the right decision. Though, Ginny's words had echoed Harry's "Do whatever you want"…..Hermione thought that maybe they were both just being to proud and stubborn…

The next morning Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Neville all entered the Great Hall for breakfast where they were welcomed by a snickering Malfoy shooting smug glances at them from across the hall.

"What's Malfoy laughing about?" Hermione asked bitterly.

Harry glanced over at Malfoy and glared. "Probably heard about what happened with Snape."

"That, or he just saw his own reflection," Ron said sourly as he reached for a bowl of oatmeal at the same time Hermione did. They touched hands and both blushed then quickly drew away.

"Go ahead," Ron said gesturing to the bowl. Hermione shook her head. "No, you go ahead."

Ron smiled shyly and picked the bowl up along with the large spoon. Then Instead of placing a spoonful of oatmeal onto his plate, he moved closer to Hermione and served her a large scoop of oatmeal. Hermione smiled and thanked him. After that they were both silent, listening in on everyone else's conversations.

After ten minutes are so there was a loud rustling and a large number of varying colors of owls rushed in through the rafters. A medium sized tawny owl swooped down to Hermione and dropped the daily profit on to her lap.

Her friends watched as Hermione opened the paper and gave a loud gasp.

"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked.

After a moment of suspenseful silence Hermione looked up at her friends grimly.

"I think I know what McGonagall and Jones where talking about yesterday," She said quietly and showed the paper to the group. It took a second to take it in and then they all wore the same expression Hermione did.

The front page of the Daily Prophet had a large head line titled "Second Azkaban Breakout!" And below the title was a long article and pictures of the escapees.

"It's all the death eaters that were at the Department of Mysteries! They've all got out!" Neville said with fear.

"I think I know why Malfoy is so happy now, he's got his daddy back," Ginny mused.

"Jones must have had to leave for a while, help with the order," Harry stated and then looked up into all of his friends' faces and he could see the fear reflected in all their eyes.

"It's going to get bad soon," Harry said forebodingly.

The group sat in fearful silence for a few moments then they were interrupted by Dean and Seamus joining them at the table.

"Hey Gryffindors! This Friday after the Halloween feast we're going to have a costume party up in the common room," Dean said excitedly.

"So start thinking of something creative!" Seamus finished and they left the table.

The news of a party lightened their moods slightly.

"Costumes?" Neville asked as if he were making sure he heard correctly.

"Sounds like fun!" Ginny stated with a small smile. "Any Ideas?" She asked obviously trying to distract they're attention from the bad news.

The group sat for awhile thinking. Then Ron finally spoke.

"I think I'll dress as Harry Potter," He said jokingly. He successfully managed to muster a smile from Harry and they all finally shared a good laugh as they came up with costume ideas.

Thank you for reading once again, I really hope that you liked it!